Fifty six years ago today, Willie Wilson was in the shower when his brother, Leo, called from his WHOP office in Hopkinsville.
An important telegram had just arrived from the Federal Communication Commission. It was time to turn on WKDZ Radio for its first-ever broadcast.
A sharp and spry 92 years old, Wilson — the station’s inaugural general manager — remembers the details as if they happened yesterday.
So in that little brick building on Will Jackson Road, with a signal tower bouncing an AM signal all the way to Central City, WKDZ went live.
A pre-recording of the national anthem, performed by the Trigg County High School Band, echoed through the halls of the school, as former Wildcats principal Tom Vinson had the broadcast bellowing from the school’s sound system.
Called his “little flat friends,” Wilson followed up with a pair of vinyl hits on turntables: Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made For Walkin’” and The McGuire Sister’s “Sincerely.” And WKDZ was born.
Of course, it wouldn’t have been without the strong vision of the initial stockholders.
In those early days, Wilson said he just wanted to have a local station that was “for the people” and “by the people.”
Along with local announcements, weather and sports, Wilson said local and regional news quickly became a prominent part of WKDZ’s daily broadcasts.
For roughly 20 years, Wilson and company operated WKDZ before folks like D.J. Everett and current NewsEdge President/CEO Beth Mann snagged the helm — and Wilson noted it’s been a blessing to watch the station grow over the years, using technology to stay up to speed with the ever-changing world.
But Wilson notes those early days wouldn’t have been as successful, had it not been for the breadth of talent coming and going through the studio.
Wilson was working on his morning show at WPKY, “Wake Up With Willie,” when he applied for the new position coming to WKDZ.
The rest, they say, is history.
